Arkansas archery lease

[lovemylegacy]

Any TBHers lease bowhunting properties in Arkansas? Even if someone hunts public areas, give us your opinions, advice and experiences.

Feel free to add pics of game taken....or maps of your secret killing tree, Just kidding.


Thank ahead of time, Calvin

[NF HUNTER]

Tagged!

[lovemylegacy]

Keep this at the top for a couple of days

[TexasBowtech]

Got a family deer camp in magnolia. Not any monsters but there are good deer.

[lovemylegacy]

Bump

[MadHatter]

Ton of deer in South Ar.
Less numbers up North & West but bigger deer.
Southwest so, so. Little deer.
South East, the biggest deer in the state, and good numbers, no chance at a lease most likely.
North East is just average imo.
I would take the West part of AR, in the Quachitas over any of it.
100s of thousands of acres of public land.
Best part, they got a trail that runs through a huge chunk of it and it's awesome for access.
It's physical hunting though, not sitting around watching a feeder .
Lot of places to camp.
Grew up around Mena and I'm a little partial

[TexasBowtech]

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[TexasBowtech]

Couple of the better ones from opening weekend.

[lovemylegacy]

Ton of deer in South Ar.
Less numbers up North & West but bigger deer.
Southwest so, so. Little deer.
South East, the biggest deer in the state, and good numbers, no chance at a lease most likely.
North East is just average imo.
I would take the West part of AR, in the Quachitas over any of it.
100s of thousands of acres of public land.
Best part, they got a trail that runs through a huge chunk of it and it's awesome for access.
It's physical hunting though, not sitting around watching a feeder .
Lot of places to camp.
Grew up around Mena and I'm a little partial

Good info.
Son I don't even own a feeder
Thanx, if yall have more it would be appreciated.

That's some nice bucks, thanx for the pics.

[SRK14]

I’ve hunted the far southwest corner. Family land in Doddridge Arkansas. I would say it’s on par with what one would expect with northeast Texas. If I was spending money I would look toward the Prescott area. The deer seem to be a little better up there and still have good numbers

[TBeau25]

I grew up hunting in the TX hill country and moved to NW Arkansas a few years ago. No archery lease but I do hunt public land both here and SW Missouri. I have been pleasantly surprised by the quality of the deer hunting (always thought of AR as a waterfowl state), there are some very nice deer roaming these woods. I will say this though, coming from the hill country and seeing 20-30 deer a sit to only seeing maybe a handful was quite the change. Like was stated earlier there are 100s of thousands of acres of national forest that can be hunted. We have some great deer but this year especially with everyone "working from home" the hunting pressure has been immense on public land. It's been a case of the harder you want to work the more deer you will probably see. I cant speak for the other areas of the state but being in the Ozarks you better be in shape going into deer season, we have some surprisingly steep country.

[lovemylegacy]

Good info. Hunting the Ozarks is basically mountain hunting or it sounds like it.

[lovemylegacy]

I’ve hunted the far southwest corner. Family land in Doddridge Arkansas. I would say it’s on par with what one would expect with northeast Texas. If I was spending money I would look toward the Prescott area. The deer seem to be a little better up there and still have good numbers

That's pretty close to Hope Ark, don't know if I want to be that close to the Clintons

[Slicefixer]

I've grown up hunting along the Red River in SW AR.... over 40 years now. I've also hunted and killed good bucks on large legacy ranches in S and W TX, hunt wonderful acreage in KS every year, currently, in addition to SW AR, I hunt in central LA along the Red, and own huntable property in SW AR.

I have no idea where these guys hunted in "SW AR", but, they must have been shot out/poor properties. "Little" deer? I could literally post several dozen photos, but, I'll just post a few recent ones off this phone.

SW AR produces, year after year, as big a whitetails, both BC score and body weight, as you'll find in most of N America. 250# live weight isn't uncommon as well as 160"+. I pass multiple PY to 150" bucks every single year and have for over 2 decades now.

Btw, I can say the same for the White River area N/NE of Little Rock a well as the AR River area on both sides of Pine Bluff. I have good friends who own land in both locales. As a result I know the quality of deer they have on their properties.

Now, as with EVERYwhere I've ever hunted, it's primarily the quality of the management practices that will determine the quality of the hunting. One area/farm/ranch produces while across town/next door is shot out and awful. Most areas I've hunted hold/produce quality deer and it's all about the dirt you're standing upon and how good a hunter you are as to whether you'll see em'.... the former being more important them the latter.

One other thing, it's been my experience a person isn't likely to see, much less kill, quality deer out of tree houses over corn feeders in SW AR. It does happen, especially on a few VERY exclusive hunting clubs, but, are usually flukes of the rut, etc and not as a rule. So if a person chooses to hunt that way they'll likely never see a truly mature buck much less kill one.



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BTW, I don't mean to be a "contrarian" or start up a keyboard p!ssing match, but, it's hard to stand by and read incorrect information.

[lovemylegacy]

Well, that's good info Slicefixer. I wouldn't worry about being a "contrarian", I asked for info, you gave it to me. Im not a feeder hunter, I usually hunt terrain features, browse lines, rub and scrapes to some extent. I am a bowhunter, so close quarters is what I like. Its good info, I appreciate it.

Nice bucks by the way. I guess now all I got to do is find a open spot on a lease or dedicate to public ground.